April First

This is the first squirrel I've seen in our feeder the entire time we have lived here - I'd like to know how he got up there! But he broke a piece on the back of the tray doing it.

In the morning they are closed...

But in the afternoon they open!

I've decided I love bulbs - work one time - then enjoy them for years to come. I'm enjoying these flowers and I didn't do any of the work to get them!

Buds

More buds

Stanley and Valeri are coming and I was trying to keep the clean bathroom rugs fluffy but somebody loves soft things so I gave up...

*****
Today is also Jason Rector's 4th birthday! Hardly seems like it has been a year since the last one.

I asked Jason to smile and this is what I got...

Jason and his daddy Joe like to put together Legos - this is the Lego racecar Jason picked out for his birthday. The other 3 kids are Che, Seth, and Addie? who belong to the Enos. Mrs. Eno teaches an English class at OAA.

Everybody loves playdoh! Especially when you can make animals out of it.
(Joe was catching a snooze... too much birthday goodness!)

Sabbath pictures

An after dinner peanut butter snack for Toby

Titus came to visit - but this picture is really all about how the moles damage our front yard so that its soft and muddy and gross.

Spring has sprung

This is how much Toby loves Muttley - he chews his ears

Seeing that I was taking a picture of Muttley - Toby decided to join the picture. And here is an example of how his floppy flipped over ears often ruin an otherwise great shot.

This is not staged - this is true love...
"Thank you for Muttley Carrie! He is my best friend - next to Waldo."
See my Photoshop Elements edits of this picture below.

Ryan is learning how to play a few songs for me.

When the dishes are done and the sun is shining - it makes me happy.
One of the students gave me the daffodil in the window at church.
Like the colors in this shot too.

This is Toby's play area. He pulls out his toys and either lays on one toy while chewing on another or lays on the towel and chews on something.

We had Wally and his family over for tacos and a movie on Saturday night. Toby and Wally are so good at sharing they can eat or drink at the same time. Although the food dish is too little for both heads so they take turns.

Learning to use Photoshop Elements

Now that I have enough memory to run Photoshop Elements - I've been able to play around with it a bit. Here are my first edits using a picture I took of Toby this weekend. I also received some help from the Pioneer Woman's website - she has a download for free PSE actions which make the processes only one click instead of 20. The 1st and 3rd edits are her actions.

The original shot - unedited out of the camera

I see a lot of burnt edges in my future

Contrast adjustment, slight sharpening, and decreased saturation

Next to the others this one just looks weird but by itself it kinda has an interesting flavor. Its a soft fade action by PW that gives almost a sepia look but retains some of the color - like Muttley's pink ear.

Wii, schools, houses, games, trains, fetch, boiled peanuts, memories...

Our spring break went: Nashville, Collegedale, Huntsville, Highland Lake, Gentry...

I beat Ryan at Wii Bowling at Carrie and Ryan's 125 to 122! We have decided we love Wii!

Some public elementary schools on the way to Ryan Heilman's school.

Kindergarten hockey

Ryan and I used to be their age!

Playing settlers in Collegedale

Learning a new game from Chad & Nikie Watkins

You build trains of certain colors on certain routes

I was blue

Huntsville Central church where Ryan went from grades 6 to 10

We found this cute little house for rent about 5 minutes from the church - $750 a month

Nice garage with a small covered porch area in the back...

and a fenced yard for Toby!

View from Big Cove Christian Academy's front yard - love the Alabama mountains!

Where Ryan went to grades 6-9

The playground needs some work... Stanley helped build the tower with the greenish roof.

The backyard of this rental goes into Big Cove's field. $1100 a month with nice hard wood floors and another double garage behind. But sadly Toby might not be welcome here.

I found a friend at the lakehouse who LOVED to play fetch. She laid outside our door the whole day we were there waiting to play.

She went and jumped in the lake to cool off then came back for more

I learned how to make Pawpaw's boiled peanuts

Love these pictures...

A napkin for hand wiping is essential

Cracking the shells - Ryan eats it right out of them